Computers will revolutionize education?

Dick Pelletier wrote a fun piece on the near future of education, built from computer-based technologies most people are already familiar with. He writes:

These sophisticated new computers will understand ordinary everyday spoken words in English, Spanish, Chinese, or any major language, and will use avatars – on-screen images that could appear as Einstein, Columbus, or even a local classroom teacher – to communicate on a personal level with each student.

The place for these computers, he writes, is in schools –which I believe is a dangerous assumption about the future. I mentioned this before, but perhaps I should put out the question again: Does the future need schools? Also, we need to consider, given the large number of computers in schools already, why hasn’t there been a revolution in education, yet?